Then there are the high-profile athletes whose lean-related suspensions and hospitalizations continue to make the headlines. The most commonly used ingredients are prescription cough syrup that contains the opioid codeine and the antihistamine promethazine.
The cough syrup is mixed with soda and sometimes alcohol. Some people also add hard candies, especially Jolly Ranchers, to the mix. Other variations of purple drank involve a combination of codeine tablets added to cough syrup and soda. The amount of each ingredient varies. But to get the desired effects, a lot more than the recommended or safe dose is used.
It remains a lesser, but still potent, controlled substance when mixed with other ingredients. All products containing it are only available with a prescription due to the risk of misuse. The distribution or manufacturing of it without a license is illegal.
Cough syrups containing codeine fall into the risk of misuse category since Actavis — considered to be the best of codeine cough syrups by lean users — was taken off the market due to its popularized misuse.
DXM cough syrup is available without a prescription, but some states restrict the sale of it to people over the age of It acts on your central nervous system CNS and slows your brain activity for a sedating effect. While some people may enjoy the euphoric effect of lean, it can also produce other less than desirable, and even downright dangerous, effects in high doses, including:.
Combining alcohol enhances the effects of the codeine and DXM. The most serious potential effect of mixing even a small amount of alcohol with cough syrup is respiratory depression. This reduces the amount of oxygen to your brain. It can lead to organ damage, coma , or death.
Lean may also interact with herbal remedies and supplements, including natural sleep aids , such as valerian root and melatonin. Like alcohol, all of these things can intensify the impact of lean on your CNS, resulting in potentially life-threatening side effects. Acetaminophen , a common ingredient in cough and cold medications, has been linked to liver damage when you take more than the recommended dose or drink alcohol while taking it.
High amounts of acetaminophen and other drugs can prevent your liver from properly metabolizing chemicals, leading to excessive amounts in your liver. On their own, codeine and alcohol can also cause liver damage when you ingest more than the recommended dosage. The candy-flavored cough syrup concoction popularized by rap singers has been around for years but, as NBC's Today show reported Thursday, doctors are increasingly concerned about kids seeking out this dangerous high, glamorized in songs and videos.
Here's what you need to know, according to government agencies and to doctors who spoke to NBC and the Los Angeles Times :. What is it? Sizzurp — also known as purple drank, syrup and lean — is a mix of codeine-based prescription cough syrup, soda and, often, Jolly Ranchers candy.
What does it do? The codeine, which is an opiate, produces a feeling of euphoria. Once the buzz from the drink wears off, however, you may feel very sleepy and possibly depressed. Alcohol also essentially amplifies the effects of the other drugs. This is concerning because the body can and will react in unpredictable ways.
In other cases, the body may simply shut down. For example, DJ Screw died in due to a codeine-promethazine-alcohol overdose. Big Moe was another DJ who died after falling into a coma related to lean misuse. The truth is, many people have no idea that lean is an issue. As a parent or friend, you may spot a problem when you see empty cough suppressant or liquor bottles laying around.
Any drug — even cough medicine — can be dangerous when taken incorrectly.
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